Vinyl laminated transfers or appliques for garments, such as hats, T-shirts, and other clothing having a decorative shape provided by pre-die cutting are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,943 to Stahl provides an applique made of laminated fabric having stitching, an upper woven blank, and a lower woven blank that has a shape that is larger and complementary to the shape of the upper woven blank and of a contrasting color so that a contrasting color is visible on the lower blank attached to the garment. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,783 to Mahn provides thermoplastic pre-die cut designs with molded relief patterns, sublimation printing, and adhered layers. U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,485 to Zompa provides pre-die cut vinyl layers adhered to one another.
Flocked appliques with decorative designs provided by pre-die cutting, or by applying the flocked fibers in a decorative design are known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,478 to Maii provides a patch made of pre-die cut, flat flocked pieces with adjacent pieces have contrasting colors and being connected with a separating web.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,207,851 and 5,346,746 to Abrams disclose transfers having flocked fibers applied in a decorative shape having an open interior section and adhered to a second layer that is visible through the open interior section. These appliques are expensive to produce, require careful positioning of the contrasting layers, and/or special flocked materials to achieve the desired decorative effect.
Appliques and laminates constructed of foam are known. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,629,034, 3,629,035 and 4,160,685 to Kuroda disclose three-dimensional appliques having a continuous plastic cover layer, an intermediate synthetic foam layer, outer and inner bonding zones creating a relief pattern, a support or base layer, and a severed borderline. U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,587 to Barthelman provides a decal having a cover layer, a foam intermediate layer and a substrate having a relief pattern with arcuate edges.
Printing contrasting stripes and intricate designs on appliques is also known. This printing may be accomplished by printing the top layer before it is thermo-formed into the decoratively shaped pattern, known as pre-distortion printing. Predistortion printing typically results in poor print quality and the inability to provide intricate patterns. Alternatively, finished appliques may be printed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,519 to Wu discloses a substantially flat foamed laminate having contrasting colors in alternating ridges and ridge-confined grooves. Wu does not disclose a flocked upper surface, a decoratively shaped relief pattern, providing color when the applique is formed, or contrasting stripes on the sidewalls of the relief pattern.
Appliques having relief patterns and contrasting colors corresponding to the bonding areas on a thermal die are known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,309 to Worth discloses a continuous micro-cellular cover layer laminated to a substrate with contrasting color on the upper surface of the cover layer corresponding to the compression surfaces of the top embossments of the heat sealing die used to compress the laminate. Worth does not disclose a foam or filler sandwiched between the micro-cellular layer and the substrate, a discontinuous upper layer, a flocked material, a relief pattern, a relief pattern with substantially vertical walls, much less a contrasting color on the substantially vertical walls.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,666,604 to Coffet discloses an ornamental article having a thickness of between 0.003 to 0.025 inches, opaque areas, continuous transparent top and bottom sheets, an intermediate foam or batting material, and transparent contrasting margins of design lines opposite the top embossments of the heat sealing die used to form the article. Coffet does not disclose a discontinuous upper layer, a flocked upper surface, opaque design lines, a substantially vertical sidewall, or a contrasting color on the sidewall of the relief pattern.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,629 to Taylor discloses an applique having a flocked surface on a continuous thermoplastic substrate, an intermediate foam layer, and a contrasting area of color opposite the top embossment of the heat sealing die, the flocked fibers contrasting with the continuous thermoplastic substrate. Taylor does not disclose a discontinuous substrate, a relief pattern with substantially vertical side walls, substantially vertical side walls contrasting with the flocked surface, or a substrate that does not contrast with the flocked fibers. Significantly, the area of contrasting color in Taylor would not result if a flocked material with the same color fibers and substrate were used.
A disadvantage of conventional appliques is that they tend to be either substantially flat without a high profile relief pattern, require multiple manufacturing steps or cannot be provided with a contrasting area of color on the side wall of the relief pattern or are not flocked. This presents the problem of not being able to provide a variety of intricate shapes and patterns or cannot be provided with the unique design feature of a relief pattern with flocked upper and lower surfaces and substantially vertical side walls of a color contrasting with the upper and lower flocked surfaces at relatively low costs. A further disadvantage of conventional appliques is that they tend to require special flocked or decorative materials as top layers to provide contrasting colors and decorative shapes and designs.
What is desired therefore is an applique having multiple vinyl layers that can be provided with a decoratively shaped perimeter, an intricate relief pattern having a substantially vertical side wall and a relatively high profile. What is further desired is a vinyl applique having a decoratively shaped perimeter, flocked raised and lowered portions and a relief pattern having a relatively high profile, and substantially vertical side walls that contrast with the flocked surfaces and that can be manufactured relatively inexpensively.